Glen Clova Hotel and Lodges

This attractive whitewashed former manse in the Cairngorms National Park has been transformed into a true dining destination with a personality of its own. Start in the elegant bar, with one of the fine selection of Scottish and Japanese whiskies, before heading to the Nordic-style dining room for the main event. A surprise tasting menu fuses Scottish produce, including some from their garden, with Japanese techniques, enhancing the ingredients to brilliant effect. The house-made oat tofu is a prime example, served with a lip-smacking fermented cream sauce with broad beans and chilli.

Queen Victoria made this area fashionable when she started visiting Balmoral Castle in the 1840s, and this restaurant inside The Fife Arms hotel certainly has its own brand of eclectic chic. Murano chandeliers hang from the ceiling and a huge stag oversees proceedings, while the staff are dressed in tartan that matches the cubist painted walls. Come in winter and you'll be welcomed by the glowing embers of the fire. Prime Scottish ingredients from lobster to venison are presented in classical dishes that often incorporate the smoky aromas of a wood fire.

This long-standing, passionately run restaurant never stands still, always investing and evolving over time. It’s still very much a family concern, with Garry Watson alone in the kitchen and his mother Maria handling the service with aplomb. There’s a modern feel to both the décor and the cooking, with the latter proving colourful and technically accomplished. Dishes really shine in their use of the Scottish larder, like local lamb with seasonal girolles. An interesting wine list and five bedrooms complete the picture.

You know what you're getting at Collinsons: an experienced chef showing his skill in delivering generous, consistently enjoyable dishes that are classic to the core. You're likely to find some of Chef-Owner Stephen Collinson's signatures recurring on the menu, like smoked haddock rarebit with leek or roasted venison with a port and cassis sauce. Whilst it may be tucked away down a quiet street, the restaurant itself is hard to miss thanks to its name etched across the floor-to-ceiling windows.

This former railway hotel may date back to 1866, but the inside has a super-smart modern look thanks to the owners of nearby Ballintaggart Farm; pass through the small library-cum-lounge and you’ll find a cosy, homely restaurant. 'Scottish' and 'seasonal' are the guiding principles of the cooking, which harnesses local ingredients from Isle of Mull crab to Perthshire wild mushrooms to power the generously sized and flavoured dishes. The owners are also wine enthusiasts and an impressive selection of whiskies and cocktails are on offer too.

There is a luxurious feel to this smartly renovated pub, where the cooking mixes the modern with the traditional. Among the well-executed dishes on the menu are some contemporary choices alongside recognisable classics like rib-eye steak, fish & chips and chicken liver parfait. Come at lunchtime to enjoy their classically served haggis, neaps and tatties, which is a real treat. Four bedrooms, cosy sitting rooms and an immaculate terrace complete the very pretty picture.

As the name suggests, this restaurant is housed in the former manse to the nearby Blair Castle. This building is impressive in itself, a substantial property situated within 10 acres of grounds and boasting a restored walled garden. The restaurant occupies a newly built orangery, which despite the country house feel to the surroundings has a pleasingly relaxed air. The cooking is Scottish to the core, with produce like Skye langoustine and Perthshire mallard used in dishes with nothing superfluous on the plate. Add in the rooms and chatty service and you have a perfect base for exploring the H